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Nick Cohen reports on suspicions that Channel Four will never show a documentary called Saddams Road To Hell, although twenty countries have already broadcast it. You can see it for yourself here (David Spector)

Iraq the Model reports that seven groups announced their desire to join the political process in accordance with the reconciliation project and said they were ready to enter a truce and stop the violence. (David Spector)

A fibre-optic network has reconnected 20 cities with Baghdad and the 70 % of Iraqis who have landlines. Part of the scheme also involved replacing obsolete transmission equipment between Baghdad and a major power station in Basra. (David Spector)

This report examines the debate. Since the majority of people in Kurdistan are Muslim, Islam should be a source of legislation, said Ali Karim, head of the Kurdistan Institute for Human Rights. Nevertheless, the constitution has to be a modern one, and conform to all the international documents and conventions on human rights.

Saturday June 17, 2006
The Guardian
Walter Wolfgang (Letters, June 16) dismisses the Compass conference because it includes some “too closely associated with the Blairite New Labour project” who “in no sense can be deemed to have sufficiently repudiated it”. The left needs pluralism rather than talking to the converted and heckling those thought to be renegades. But I agree that Iraq should be discussed at the Compass conference so that its new non-sectarian Labour movement can be supported.
Gary Kent
Director, Labour Friends of Iraq

June 15th is Iraqs National Day of the Press during which there will be demonstrations to highlight the unspeakable suffering of media in a country where the freedom to publish is close to extinction due to ruthless extremists and the targeting of journalists by warring factions. At least 129 media staff have been killed, and hundreds more injured or disabled, during the present conflict. (David Spector)

The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions has criticised the Iraqi government reaction to the rapid unionisation within Iraq. A new labour code has yet to be implemented, which has allowed Saddam era legislation to remain in place. Decree 8750, which allows the government to take control of all monies belonging to the trade unions and prevent them from dispensing any such monies is also attacked.(David Spector)

The General Secretary of the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers Unions has written to the London Representative of the IFTU following the murder of Thabet Hussein Ali. (David Spector)

Following representations
from David Cockcroft (the ITF General Secretary) to the Iraqi Minister for Transport, the Port Workers Union have won a victory following the ministers attempts at suppressing the union. (David Spector)